


Country Love Song

by thebitchisback99



Category: Elton John - Fandom, Rocketman - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:33:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24970876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebitchisback99/pseuds/thebitchisback99
Summary: You live in a house on the edge of the country and you often spend your days looking out at the trees that line that landscape, wondering what's out there beyond them all. And you have no idea that you're about to get your answer--in the form of a rock hitting your window sill.
Relationships: Elton John/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

Your fingers plucked the slightly rusted strings of an acoustic guitar and you swore under your breath as your lack of callouses remind you it's been too far too long. A deep breath escaped you. Where did the time go? How long have you been caught up in the hustle and bustle of making a living that you had forgotten somewhere along the road to actually live? Everything just got so fast, and you had forgotten all about your family's old house outside of the city. The soft, wood paneled walls and slightly creaky floorboards and the lace curtains fluttering slightly against the windows. Birds twitter about outside and go about their little busy lives too, and you wish, for a split moment, that you were one. That you could just fly away at any second you wanted and were free. Friends had come and gone. Though you remember one from when you were young. His cheeky smile and skinned knees. The two of you used to play soccer in the yard until it was time for dinner. You wonder where he was now, and remember the last time you saw him. You were both barely teenagers and he mentioned something about a scholarship to a music school and you were just about to go off to start your first job at the local grocery store. There was a bittersweet congratulatory hug and then off he went. 

You wished again, and it was a tight feeling in your chest, that you could see him now. 

_CRACK_

You started out of your thoughts and stood up in the middle of your old bedroom. What was that? 

_CRACK_

It came from the window, so you went to go see. 

There, in the yard, was a man of probably no more than twenty-three with corduroy pants, a paisley shirt and tie, and a pair of thick framed glasses. 

Confusion swarmed your mind. He looked vaguely like......No, it couldn't be. You opened the window. 

"Hello?!" You yelled down from the second floor. 

"What a sight! So it is you!" The man exclaimed happily. 

"Do you mean to tell me that you are who I think you are?" You raised an eyebrow.

"Who do you think I am?"

"Reg Dwight, from down the road!"

The man made a nauseated expression. "Well, you're not wrong. But I don't use that name anymore." 

"So what name do you use?" This was certainly getting interesting! 

"Why don't you come down here and find out?!" 

Oh, right. You were both shouting at each other from the window. You closed it quickly and headed down the stairs to the front door to let him in. 

He smiled politely as he entered the threshold and you showed him to the kitchen table before fussing around to find a pot to boil water for tea. 

"God, it's been years." He said, chuckling to himself. 

"What made you want to stop by? I haven't been here in ages!" You said, filling the kettle. 

"I was driving down the road when I saw a car parked outside your house and thought 'man, he couldn't have sold it already! It's not even on the market!' and sure enough it was you!" 

The stove top came to life with a click and you put the kettle down to boil. 

"You never told me your new name." 

"Oh," He turned slightly pink across the cheeks. "it's Elton." 

"Woow! Classy! I dig it! Bet it's been a hit with the ladies at the academy." 

Elton bit his lip and fidgeted with a thread on his sleeve. You rinsed out two teacups and set them down on the table. 

"I actually dropped out of the academy." He said quietly. 

Your eyes grew wide. "What? When?" 

"Not that long ago. About a month." 

The kettle started to whistle, and you went over to turn it off. Then it hit you. Tea. Was there even any tea in this place? If there was, it would probably be expired. And so you went to go sit down, hoping Elton would be too preoccupied with the conversation to notice. 

"What ever for?" You inquired. 

"Well, I got really into writing songs and performing them in clubs and whatnot, and that's what I'm deciding to do right now." 

"You're writing music now?! Holy shit! Can I see some of your lyrics?" You realize that probably came off too strongly and you backtracked. "I mean, if you're comfortable with that." 

Elton chuckled. "Actually, I don't write the lyrics, my friend Bernie does. I just write the melodies." 

"What do you mean you 'just write the melodies', that's the hardest part!" 

"No, not really, not for me." Elton laughed. He paused. "Do you, do you not have any tea?" 

Your face flushed red and you cleared your throat. "It would seem so." 

Elton snorted. "Some hospitality!" 

"Fuck off! At least I thought to put the kettle on!" 

Elton playfully shoved your shoulder. "I'm just taking the piss!" 

"Well take your piss somewhere else!" 

Elton cackled with laughter. You had missed this. It felt as if a part of you that had been long dormant suddenly sparked with life. You caught each others' eyes for a moment and there was a tangible tenderness there. But Elton quickly flicked his gaze to the floor. 

"Anyway I just thought I'd pop in for a bit and say hello. I'm glad you decided to visit." He said. 

"Me too. I've been half working myself to death but I've finally got some time off. About two weeks worth, so I figured I'd spend it here." 

Elton's eyes brightened. "Hey, do you think you'd want to come and visit Bernie and I where we write? It's out here a little ways. We have the space for you, if you'd like." You could tell he was nervous, so you countered it with a warm smile. 

"I would love to." 

Elton smiled widely, the little gap in his tooth peeking out from behind his lips and you felt a sudden jolt in your gut. 

"So when were you thinking you would have me?" 

"Let's just go now, I mean what's a house without any tea, anyway." Elton joked. 

"Too true. Let me lock up and I'll come along." You put the teacups back into the cupboard and grabbed your keys. 

"Alright, I'll wait out in the car." Elton smiled and walked outside. 

Your mind was reeling. How is all of this happening? If someone had told you earlier that this was happening you would've laughed in their face, but now, you were excited! Excitement seemed like an emotion you had stored in a box along with all of the other childhood things....Like Elton. A whole life reduced to a brief memory, a gap in your recollection of conscious thought. You hoped this would be the return of more good things. And it would certainly prove itself to be.


	2. Chapter 2

The wind blew through both of your hair in the Jeep as you made your way down the bumpy dirt road. Elton was talking about his posh piano teacher who claims he never sat still enough while he played and you giggled. Greenery flashed by your eyes along the roadside. Tall trees, a lake or two, farmlands with roaming cattle and sheep. A total turnaround from the grey landscape of the city streets. 

"'S beautiful isn't it?" Elton asked, nodding toward the sight. 

You flushed slightly despite yourself. What was happening to you?! 

"Y-yeah. It's lovely. Missed it a lot." 

Elton smiled and you felt like your heart jumped up into your throat. "Bernie prefers to be away from the city when he writes. Says it helps him concentrate. I can't blame him, and I don't mind either way." 

Your heart sank a little for some reason. Who was Bernie? You certainly didn't remember him from around your neighborhood growing up. And Elton seems to be rather fond of him. He must be talented, too, being that he writes songs... You got caught up in your thoughts as they snowballed from there. The only thing that caught your attention was the slowing and eventual stopping of the Jeep. 

"Well, we're here." Elton said, pulling the keys from the ignition. 

You looked out at a big green field. A little stone house stood in the middle of it, smoke pluming from its chimney. 

"I dig it!" You said smiling. 

Elton grinned and locked the car. "It's not much but it's comfortable and the view is pretty breathtaking at times." 

He walked you up to the door and knocked on the wooden door. 

"Bernie? You awake?" 

Awake? It was 4 pm! What a lifestyle... Oh to be a songwriter... 

"Yea!" A faint voice replied. 

Elton stepped inside and you followed. A man with long dark hair was sitting on the couch in front of the fire, a pen and notebook in his hand. He turned around to look at Elton and when he caught sight of you his eyes popped. 

"Who's it you brought?" He stood up quickly and walked up to you, smiling. 

"This was my friend from primary school, Bernie, you know, the one who kicked my ass at soccer." Elton said. 

You laughed. "Did not!" 

"Don't be modest!" 

You rolled your eyes and Bernie stepped forward to shake your hand. 

"It's nice to meet you, man. You seem really cool. Elton's mentioned you a few times in passing but I didn't know you were still in the area." 

"That's the thing...I'm not. I'm just on a break from work." You said. 

"Oh, okay. Well, then good choice!" Bernie smiled and started to walk back toward the couch. 

Elton reached into a cupboard to pull out a few teacups and a kettle. "Would you like some real tea?" He mused. 

You shot a playful glare in his direction. "Sure." 

Elton giggled to himself as he put the tea on. 

"Hey Elton," Bernie called. 

"Yeah?" Elton walked over to the couch. 

"I've got another one ready for you." Bernie handed him a sheet of paper with what must've been lyrics covering it. 

"Okay. You got it. I'll take a whack at it in a minute or two." Elton took it into one of the rooms toward the back of the house and returned to set the table. 

"Have you got a piano in here?" You asked Elton. 

He nodded. "Yeah, it's stuffed into my room at the moment. Takes up a lot of it." 

"Can I see?" You asked, hoping not to sound intrusive. 

Elton looked surprised, but pleasantly so. "Uh, sure. Follow me." 

You followed him back to his room, which was pretty bare if not for the little cot and piano keyboard inside. A wool blanket lay strewn across the bed and a bag of clothes was tucked away in the corner. 

"How much did you pay for the keyboard?"

"It took most of my first pay, but it wasn't that bad." He turned it on and brushed his fingers over the keys silently. He laughed suddenly. "I've just realized I've never played for you. How odd." 

"I remember hearing your parents talk about how good you were, and that you were going away." You said, taking a seat on the floor. 

Elton nodded and pressed a single chord, making it linger for a moment. You held your breath. He looked as if he were thinking about what to play briefly before launching into a soulful tune, his brows furrowing. 

Your mouth hung open a little as you watched him, more the embodiment of what he was playing at the moment rather than just someone playing something mindlessly. Not to mention the sheer skill of it. After a little bit, it ended and the two of you were left in silence. 

"Holy shit! Who wrote that?" You asked.

"Uh....me." Elton replied sheepishly. 

"No way, when?!" 

"Just, just now." 

You simply stared at him for a moment in disbelief. 

"You better close that thing before you catch a fly." Elton said, pointing at your mouth. 

You slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "Shut up!" 

Elton ran out of the room into the kitchen to turn the kettle off, giggling. 

"Isn't he great?" Bernie said as you passed. 

"Yeah! It's insane!" 

"I feel lucky to have found someone who can write like him. Before meeting him, no one would take my lyrics up at the publisher." 

"Tea's on!" Elton said. 

Bernie set his notebook aside and walked over to the table and you followed. 

Elton poured the tea and you and Bernie took a cup. 

"So, our manager wants to talk to us about something tomorrow down at the office, but after that we should be back here. Maybe we could all have a picnic over on the big hill." Elton said.

"What's the big hill?" You asked.

"It's literally just a big hill." Bernie said. "But you can see the city from it, it's pretty cool." He took a sip of his tea. 

"That sounds nice." You said. "I can't remember the last time I had a picnic." 

"Okay then, it's settled." Elton said. "...I should probably go start working on that song if we want to finish this album tonight."

Bernie nodded. "Godspeed." 

Elton took his tea and rushed off to his room. You sat in semi-stunned silence. 

"You've got enough for a whole album?"

Bernie smiled. "And then some. We've already written one and published it, but it didn't do so well."

"Oh." Your heart fell a little. 

"But don't worry. I'm really confident about this one. We're going to show it to our manager tomorrow." 

"Okay. I only wish the best." You finished your tea and set the cup in the sink before waking over to sit on the couch. 

Bernie took his seat in an armchair by the fireplace, picking his notebook back up. You could hear the faint sounds of Elton beginning to play from his bedroom. 

You closed your eyes and listened, the warmth of the fire making you want to rest.

You had never heard anyone play the piano like that. It wasn't like the classical your parents played, and it wasn't like the Little Richard your coworkers had played. It was a thoughtful blend of the two. 

"The couch is all yours if you're tired. I've got my own room." Bernie said, and it brought you back to reality. 

"Oh, okay, cool." 

Before you knew it, you had dozed off. That was, until you felt the weight of something being draped over you. You opened your eyes slightly to see Elton letting go of a grey robe and rubbing his tired eyes. 

"Oh, sorry, did I wake you?" He asked quietly. 

"No, it's okay. Thank you." You pulled the robe up over your shoulder and laid down on the couch. 

"Yeah, no problem. I'm going to head to bed myself. G'night." Elton smiled and headed back to his room. 

"Good night." You watched him walk away, the strangest little twinge in your chest, and willed yourself to go back to sleep. 

* * *

A warm hand on your shoulder woke you up and you opened your eyes. A sharp intake of breath. It was Elton.

"What time is it?" You asked. 

"Not long after nine." 

"Wow. I must have slept for a while."

"You looked tired." 

You gestured vaguely and sat up. "So what's going on?"

Bernie walked into the room beaming holding a bottle of champagne. He popped the cork and it went flying, slamming into the wall as foam jutted out from the bottle. 

"We're going to America!" 

"What?!"

"Yeah! We have a couple performances at this folk club in LA called the Troubadour." Elton said. 

"That's amazing!" You were grinning from ear to ear, and then it fell. "Oh, I should probably go home then so you guys can get ready." 

"We're taking you with us, mate!" Bernie said, pouring three very messy glasses of champagne. 

"Whatever for?! I don't play anything!"

"You're going to play the best instrument of all." Bernie said. "Moral support." 

You laughed loudly. "Hell of a lot better than sitting around that's for sure." 

Elton and Bernie held up their glasses and you did the same. 

"Cheers!" They said and you all drank.

"Did you guys still want to do the picnic?" You asked after a moment. 

"Screw the picnic, let's go out to eat!" Elton said, putting his arms around yours and Bernie's shoulders. 

"Can't argue with that logic." You said and followed them out the door to the Jeep. 

You decided to sit in the back, not wanting to make Bernie feel weird. But in doing so, you then felt weird. It was inevitable it seemed. You watched them chat and laugh excitedly and smiled. You only wanted the best for them and you had a good feeling about what was happening. 

You ended up back in the city, at a diner not far from where you worked across from a boutique. You had heard they had decent hotcakes and decided to try some for yourself. 

The three of you sat at a booth, Elton and Bernie on one side and you on the other. 

"It's so loud in here." Bernie said. 

There was clattering of dishes and people talking, forks clanking and faint tinny music coming from a speaker in the ceiling. 

"If you think this is loud, wait 'till we get to Los Angeles!" Elton joked. 

Bernie laughed. "Yeah, I suppose so." 

You had heard of Los Angeles. A faraway city with an exotic name, filled with palm trees and sunshine. Of fashionable people and bold musicians. It was like a different world. 

"We should probably go clothes shopping." You suggested. "I don't want to stick out any more than I already do." 

Elton laughed. "You're telling me, my best suit jacket is full of moth holes!" 

You looked across the street at that boutique with all of the hip people walking in and out. Some anxiety bubbled through you, but you pushed it down. You were going to America, dammit. You could walk into a clothes store. Even if it was far more outlandish than you were used to. 

"Why don't we go in there?" 

Elton looked over. You could see the same nervous expression dance across his face and he wiped it away as well. "You know what, sure. Let's all go." 

You all finished your food and headed out the door towards the clothes shop. It had bright murals on its walls and staircase. 

"Hey, Elton." Bernie said, stopping him from reaching from the door for a moment. 

"Yeah?"

"Can we er, can we afford anything inside?"

"I mean the only way to know is to go in and find out." Elton said. 

"Fair point." 


	3. Chapter 3

The flood of colorful clothes that appeared before your eyes was enough to stop you in your tracks. Were there this many colors in the rainbow? You weren't sure. Bernie was equally floored, but Elton looked like a child on Christmas morning. He rushed immediately over to a pair of bright yellow overalls. 

"I didn't even know they came in this color!" He exclaimed excitedly. 

You bit the inside of your cheek. It was.....adorable. _Oh no. Oh noooooooo...._

"You alright, mate?" Bernie asked. 

"What? Yeah. I'm fine." You walked over to a pair of green corduroy pants and examined them for a size or price. 

Bernie seemed to laugh under his breath but you hoped he was just breathing funny. He wandered over to the shoes and was admiring a pair of leather wingtips. 

"Hey! Look!" You heard Elton call and you turned around to see him holding up a long sleeve shirt covered in shiny silver stars. A flush spread over your cheeks again but you hoped he wouldn't notice. 

"That's brilliant." You said smiling. 

"I'm going to go try them on." Elton said, heading for the dressing room. 

"Okay, let me know if you need anything." 

You turned around and were met immediately face to face with Bernie. 

"Jesus H Christ! I ought to put a bell on you." 

Bernie laughed and shook his head. "Calm down." 

"What's going on?" You asked him.

"I was just going to ask you, do--"

"FUCK!" 

Both you and Bernie turned your heads toward the dressing rooms. It was Elton. You both walked over towards the stall where you could see his shoes underneath.

"Are you okay?" You asked. 

"Er, is Bernie there?" 

Oh. 

"Yeah, I'm here, mate, what's up?" Bernie walked over to the door and you stepped aside. 

You wondered what it could've possibly been that you couldn't have been able to handle as you looked over the collared shirts in various patterns. Its true that he probably knows Bernie better, has spent a lot more time with him, and lives with him for Christsake. _Get over yourself you little--_

A sudden hand on your shoulder startled you. It was Bernie.

"Hey, man, can you hand me that pair of overalls over there?" 

"Oh, sure." You grabbed them and handed them over. "Is Elton okay?"

Bernie sighed. "Yeah, he just got upset." 

"Over what?" You asked, but stopped yourself. "If you don't mind me asking." 

"It's not me that minds, it's him. He got frustrated because the first pair didn't fit. He was about to leave without looking at anything else, but I calmed him down." Bernie headed back towards the stalls and you felt your heart sink. 

_Oh._

Why would he get that upset? Sure, it's frustrating when people's clothes don't fit, but usually it doesn't get to that extent. You remembered going to a dinner party at his house once. His mother would fuss at him for eating too much mashed potatoes or bread and tell him that he soon wouldn't be able to fit into his nice recital clothes. 

_Oh._

The pain you felt in your chest was soon forgotten as you looked over at your friend, standing outside of the stall in his outfit. Bernie was beaming at him and your jaw dropped, heart pounding. He looked like a character out of a technicolor cartoon come to life. He turned around and met your eyes and you could see the flush creep up his face. 

"Er, what do you think?" He asked gingerly. 

A broad smile swept across your face. "I think it's fantastic." 

"Really?" He asked. 

"Yeah!" 

Bernie was still smiling and gave you a nod of solidarity. 

"Okay, I'll go pick out some shoes." Elton wandered over to the other side of the store. 

Bernie came up to you and patted you on the shoulder. "Your opinion must mean a lot to him." 

Nerves flashed through your mind again. That same feeling that Bernie knew something you didn't. Or maybe that he knew something that you thought that he didn't. Either way it made your skin prick with heat and embarrassment. 

"What makes you think that?" 

"Well, for example, instead of taking one look in the mirror and running back inside he stopped and actually seemed pleased with it." Bernie said. 

You smiled and shook your head. 

"You don't write lyrics, do you?" Bernie asked you. 

"...No, why?" 

Bernie laughed. "Because I don't need any competition." 

"Oh, please! You've written so much already! Your work is brilliant I'm sure. I don't have a musical bone in my body." 

"I'm just giving you a hard time, man. It's okay." 

"I...I knew that." 

"What do you guys think of these?" Elton asked, walking up with a pair of shoes with decorative wings on the side. 

Bernie looked like he was trying not to laugh briefly but pulled himself together. 

"They look ridiculous but once you put them on they won't." You said without missing a beat. 

Elton laughed. "Shut up, I'll see if they even fit." He walked over to a bench and sat down. 

"See, if I had said that, I would be sleeping in a bush tonight." Bernie said. 

"I was only being honest." You shrugged. 

Bernie smiled. "He seems to really like you." 

"I mean, I sure hope so, we're friends." You picked out a couple of shirts and a pair of pants and headed to the register. 

Bernie looked as if that wasn't the response he was looking for and you furrowed your brows, confused. 

"You--You don't know?" He asked quietly. 

"Know what?" 

"That Elton's--"

"--That will be fifteen dollars." The cashier said. 

You paid and thanked them before turning around to see Elton back in his street clothes getting ready to pay as well. 

"Those look nice." He said in passing before going up to the desk. 

Bernie took you outside the store, leading you to an alley around the corner. You were startled and confused at the sudden change in personality from him. 

"You grew up with Elton, am I right?" He asked you.

You nodded slowly. 

"So you must have had some kind of inkling that he was gay, right?" 

It was as if someone had turned your brain off with a switch. All of the blood drained from your face. 

"N-No." 

Bernie pondered in thought. "Hmm. You were really young. That makes sense. Anyway, I just wanted you to know because he trusts you and I trust you." 

"Okay." You said, your brain still on fire. 

"Let's head back before he thinks we left him." Bernie said. 

"Good idea." 


	4. Chapter 4

Just as you and Bernie were about to push open the doors of the boutique, Elton opened one of them--right into your forehead. 

"Shit!" You stumbled backward a bit, putting a hand to your face. 

Elton looked like he had just wounded a baby deer. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" He placed an unsure hand on your shoulder. 

Bernie, again, looked as if he were trying not to laugh but he was supportive all the same. "You okay?" 

You nodded, taking your hand off of your face. "Yeah, I've had loads of practice taking doors to the face." Sarcasm was the best remedy for deflecting embarrassment. 

You all walked down the steps back toward the Jeep across the street. 

"So when does this tour start? And how are we getting there?" You ask, curious. 

"Well, we have three plane tickets for next week." Bernie replied as you all took your seats inside the car.

You had never even been on a plane! How exciting! 

"Yeah I'm not particularly excited about the whole plane bit." Elton said as he started the engine. "I've heard all sorts of horror stories..."

Bernie smiled at Elton reassuringly. "Which are all to be taken with a grain of salt." 

"....And a few beers." Elton joked. 

"No, you're thinking of lime." You chimed in. 

"Cheeky..." Elton muttered, laughing under his breath. 

The drive back to the stone house was pleasant. The sun was peeking out from behind thick, fluffy clouds reminding you of its existence. When you got out, you saw Elton take something out from the trunk that wasn't a shopping bag and your curiosity grew. When he came around to the other side of the car you could see it. It was a soccer ball. 

"Rematch?" He offered. 

You were stunned. You hadn't touched a soccer ball in at least ten years. Let alone kicked anything! This would surely be a disaster. 

"I...I dunno..." You started.

"Don't worry I haven't had much practice since our last game." Elton tried to reassure you.

You could see Bernie shaking his head and mouthing 'he's lying' on his way back into the house and your stomach dipped. 

"Er..." You fidgeted with a thread on the side of your jeans. 

"C'mon it'll be fun!" Elton shoved you playfully and you nearly toppled over. 

"Alright! But if I make a fool of myself I'm going to dig a hole and lie in it and you can dig me out tomorrow morning." 

Elton beamed with joy. "Okay!" 

* * *

Elton had gone inside to change and Bernie had lent you some shorts. You went back outside, taking a seat on the partially collapsed wooden fence separating the house from the field next to it. 

"Alright, let's go!" Elton's voice came from the door frame.

He walked out with the ball in a pair of blue shorts and a striped shirt that rose slightly above his waist. You bit the tip of your tongue so hard you could taste blood and you didn't realize that you weren't moving until the ball hit you in the chest. 

"The fuck was that for?!" 

"You were just sitting there! C'mon!" 

You hopped off the fence and grabbed the ball, running out into the field with it. 

"If you want it you're going to have to get it!" 

You could hear the sound of yours and Elton's feet hitting the damp earth as you kept running. It was then that it hit you. You hadn't ran long distances in a while, and your breath was starting to run out. 

"Hey er, can we take a--OOF!" Your body fell back down onto the wet grass with a thud, Elton following suit landing right on top of you as he tripped. 

His amusement was contagious as giggles bubbled through him. You couldn't help but laugh. When the laughter subsided, you realized that Elton had not moved and you met his eyes. There it was again. That almost nauseous feeling that made you want to jump right out of your skin and hide. Elton leaned down slightly so that his lips were just brushing yours. 

"Is this okay?" He asked. 

All of your blood rushed to your cheeks and you grabbed his face, kissing him suddenly. Elton didn't seem to mind at all, in fact, he encouraged it. He rolled the two of you over, the damp patch on your back from the grass sending a chill down your spine as the air hit it. 

You opened your eyes and broke away for a moment, reality seeping back in. "....I."

"Surreal isn't it?" Elton asked, his glasses askew. 

"I never thought you liked me." You said quietly. 

"Why would I have spent so much time with you if I didn't?" 

You paused in thought. "You know, I didn't think about that." 

Elton laughed as he sat up and you rolled off of him. 

"Do you think we're far enough away that Bernie didn't get an eye full from the house?" Elton asked. 

"I...I would hope so." You got up and offered him a hand, which he took. 

But even after starting to walk away you realized he didn't let go of it. You turned to look at him.

"What?" 

"Are you still up for a game?" 

You had forgotten all about it. 

"Yeah!" 

Elton let go of your hand and picked up the ball. "Hope you're ready." 

You would later wish that you had an inkling of what that sentence entailed. 

* * *

Elton's soccer skills had definitely improved since childhood. He ended up winning by a long shot. You weren't sure if it was because you were distracted or you just sucked, but either way you were having a good time. 

"Good game!" Elton said. 

"Good game? I hardly scored!" You laughed.

"I didn't say it was good for you!"

Elton grabbed the soccer ball and started towards the house and you started to run after him. 

"Youuuuu cock!" You smacked him on the back and he broke out in hearty laughter. 

The front door was open and Bernie poked his head out. "What are you two fighting about?" 

"When did Elton get good at soccer?!" You asked as you followed him inside. 

Bernie shook his head as he plated a sandwich. "I don't know. He said he played some in secondary school, but I didn't believe him." 

"Thanks a lot, Bernie." Elton tossed the soccer ball into a closet. 

"Just being honest, mate." Bernie took a bite of his food. "You two look like you rolled down the whole bloody hill, you're wearing more grass than clothes!" 

You looked down at your green stained form and Elton did the same. 

"You can't play a good game without getting a bit of grass on you." Elton said. 

"Speaking of a bit of grass," You started. 

Elton's eyebrows popped up. "Do you smoke?" 

"I smoke whatever I can get my hands on. Be it cigarettes or more...herbal concoctions." 

"Goes about the same with me." Bernie said. "There's some in the box on the mantle." 

You walked over to look at the little box. Score. 

"Also the lake should be vacant if you want to wash up." Bernie said without missing a beat. 

Your mind ran to a screeching halt. "The...the lake? You mean there isn't a tub here?" 

Bernie laughed. "Does it look like we have a bathtub, mate? We barely have a toilet." 

Elton patted you on the back. "Don't worry. There aren't any leeches this time of year." 

You turned to look at him. "I swear to God Elton." 

He was too amused to answer. 

"I bet it's freezing!" You continued.

"Not if you run fast enough." Elton said. 

"I.....I can't believe this. I'm going to strip naked in the middle of nowhere to rinse off in a leech-ridden puddle." 

"Well, I mean it's not any fun if you go alone. We'll be stoned out of our minds!" 

Your mind paused again. _We_. He said _We_. 

"You two have fun I'm going to catch up on some sleep." Bernie put his plate in the sink and stretched before walking over toward the mantle to roll himself a joint. 

"You should wash, you dirty hippie!" Elton said. 

"Turns out I'm not a fan of leeches either." Bernie laughed. "I'll wash up in the morning." 

Part of you wanted to have Bernie there to deflect the awkwardness, but in having him there after what happened earlier--it would have probably made the awkwardness even worse. So you supposed it was for the best, but it didn't stop the frantic rhythm of your heart against your ribs.

"All right." Elton said. "Now let's get to smoking." 


	5. Chapter 5

You coughed as hot smoke filled your lungs and you passed the joint back to Elton. The two of you were sitting on the couch and a haze was starting to fill the room. You could hear the sound of faint snoring coming from the crack in Bernie's bedroom door. 

"Where did you guys even manage to get this stuff way out here?" You asked, curious. 

Elton smiled as he took a hit. "Bernie has a friend that grows it not far from here." He exhaled a little cloud that spiraled over the coffee table, reaching out to it with little spindly arms. He passed it back to you. 

"Grows it?" You nearly choked again, but this time out of shock. "How do they get away with that?" Your eyes grew wide as you blew smoke over your shoulder. 

Elton laughed and took the joint from you as you held it out. "Fuck if I know. Farmers are crafty I guess." He took a puff before offering it back to you and you put a hand up in refusal. 

He extinguished it before getting up to put it back into the little box on top of the mantle. "We should probably head out before it gets too cold."   
  


"Good idea." Your stomach flipped again. You had almost forgotten what was discussed earlier. 

Elton went to his bedroom to get his clothes and you picked yours up from their pile on the arm of the sofa from earlier. Do country people just bathe in lakes all the time? Is this a normal thing? You vaguely remember doing it once as a child but its too blurry. 

Elton returned to the room, clothes draped over his arm, a couple of washcloths, towels, and a bar of soap in his hand. He handed you a faded green t-shirt and some red shorts. 

"What's this for?" You ask. 

Elton laughed. "It's for you to wear, of course." 

"But I've got clothes." You gestured to the crumpled pile next to you as you set the new clothes down.

Elton rolled his eyes. "Those are dirty, and I know you didn't bring extras because you weren't planning to stay. Just take these I've got plenty. I hardly wear them anyway." 

A faint blush rose to your face and you stood, leaving the crumpled pile of dirty clothes behind. "If you think this is going to make up for the leeches, you've got another thing coming..." You joked to distract yourself from the color flooding your cheeks. 

Elton snorted, leading you outside into the night air. "Shut up. It'll be fine." 

You followed him out into the field and ultimately over to the small lake. It was more of a pond, really. Tall cattails surrounded it, and you watched as little fireflies swarmed around, bobbing in the breeze. You could hear frogs croaking in the bushes. Elton set the wash rags and towels on some rocks surrounding the place. 

"Alright, I'll go in first so you don't think I'm mad." Elton said. 

You laughed and started to take off your shoes. Elton turned around, facing the field as he took his shirt off and tossed it to the dirt. You looked away, focusing on the task at hand of removing your shoes and socks. You could hear the soft creak of leather and the jingle of a belt buckle and felt your cheeks heat up again, so you unbuttoned your shirt and just as you set it down a faint splash was heard. 

You glanced over to see Elton's head rising up above the water he dived in moments before, rubbing his eyes free of it. He blinked at you, trying to discern your shape without his glasses. "It's not that bad today." 

You took some comfort in the fact that he probably couldn't see you and removed your trousers and underpants, setting them down. It was the walk over, or more, the nervous scuttle over, that made you want to scream internally. Relieved that the ten seconds of torture was over you hopped right in. Surprisingly the water was warm. Probably because it was a bit humid out. 

"You're right." You said, cupping some in your hands to pour over your hair. 

"I wouldn't suggest something if it meant possible hypothermia." Elton said. He waded over to the rock with the soap and rags on it. 

As he stood with his back to you, you decided to sneak up on him, hands full of water, before pouring it down his back. 

Elton's shoulders seized up and he turned around, chucking the soap at you. "The fuck was that for?!" 

You dodged the soap, cackling. "I-I don't know!" 

A smile crept up into Elton's face and he shook his head. "It's okay, it's fair game." He bent over to pick up the soap from the mossy bottom of the pond. He handed you a wash rag. "Don't forget behind the ears." 

"Oh I won't." You started to soap up your arms and passed the bar back to Elton and he did the same. 

You mused in your head for a moment about the sheer intimacy of what was occurring but you didn't want to elaborate. You just wanted it to be quick and painless and soon you'd be back inside asleep like none of it had never happened. Sure he had kissed you earlier, but that didn't mean anything did it? He said he liked you but was he only saying that? He had bigger and better things to preoccupy himself with.

Caught up in your thoughts as they whirred around in your head, you were startled out of it by a hand on your shoulder. 

"Hey, you okay? You're almost scrubbing your arms raw." Elton said quietly. 

You laughed nervously, rinsing the foam from your arms and shoulders. "Yeah, sorry. I'm a little stoned." You took the bar of soap and coated the rag again. 

Elton looked like he registered something familiar within your actions, and placed a quick peck to your cheek. 

Your eyes grew wide. "The fuck was that for?!" You mirrored from earlier. 

Elton laughed. "I don't know!" 

_Deja vu._

"Bullshit, you do know!" You scrubbed the back of your neck. 

Elton rinsed the suds from his torso. "I told you already--I like you." 

"I thought you were just taking the piss!" You said, working the soap over the rest of you. 

"Why would I waste time doing that?" He rinsed out his rag and set it up on the rocks. 

You were rinsing off when he placed a gentle hand on your wrist and you looked over at him. He made quick work of closing the distance between you and captured your lips in a swift kiss. It seemed like ages that you just stood there, opening and closing your mouths against each other's until the wet warmth of Elton's tongue slipped between your lips. A little whimper escaped you, despite yourself and you could feel Elton smile-- _fucking smile_ against your mouth. He pulled away and you could see the faint glistening of his lips in the dim light. 

"...We should focus on washing up." He said, slightly breathless. 

You managed to summon your few remaining brain cells. "Yeah, definitely." 

Elton rinsed the remaining suds from his body and hopped out to grab a towel to dry off and cover up with. You shakily finished up and headed out as well, taking the other towel from the rocks and wrapped it around your waist. 

Making short work of the pile of discarded dirty clothes, the two of you headed back to the house. Your heart was still in your throat and you silently willed it to slow down. 

"Do you want something to eat? We have some peaches in the icebox." Elton said, pushing open the front door. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm going 2 give the gays everything they want *drops this chapter n moves to the Arctic*

You sank your teeth into the soft skin of a yellow peach, your drying hair sticking out in odd angles from your head. Elton was sitting on the couch next to you, his own peach in hand as the two of you stared absentmindedly into the dark fireplace. Your mind seemed to have stopped after what had happened a few minutes ago in the pond. You tried to think of something else--anything! The dust on the coffee table! A cricket that was crawling on the stone floor! But your mind always drifted back to the feeling of Elton's lips on yours. The warmth that filled your body like rich liquor from head to toe. 

"Contemplating existence?" His soft voice brought you back to the present. 

You looked over at him as he tossed the peach pit into the trash can across the room. "No." You managed a laugh. "Just stoned." 

"Fair enough." He smiled and set a warm hand on your knee. "I'm quite out of it myself." 

Your body felt like a live wire. You took the last bite of your peach before tossing yours out as well, and you grimaced down at the sweet sticky mess it had made of your hand. A chill ran down your spine as you caught Elton looking over. Heart racing, you decided to be bold and popped a couple of fruit juice covered fingers into your mouth and sucked them clean. Elton let out an audible groan that went straight to your dick and quickly leaned over to cover your mouth in hungry kisses. 

"We should..." He said in between kisses. "...probably go to my room." 

You nodded half coherently and let him take your hand as he stood to lead you. Elton's room was small, yet comfortable. A cot covered in a plush quilt was in the center of it all. He sat down, patting the space on the quilt next to him, and a pang of fondness twisted your heart before you sat. 

"This is so strange, I never thought this would happen." You laughed breathily. 

"Me neither." Elton gave a warm smile. "But I'm glad it is." He took your hand in his. "I'd rather my first time be with somebody I care about rather than some meaningless fling, y'know?" 

You nodded and smiled back at him. "Same here." 

Elton leaned and kissed you again, and it was like you had never stopped. You lifted his hand that held yours and placed it on your chest. You realized he could probably feel your heart going a thousand miles a minute, but discarded that thought. Elton began to trace lazy patterns over the worn cotton of your shirt and he dragged his thumb downward over a nipple. You gasped softly into his mouth, and he used that as an opportunity to slip his tongue inside. You pushed your tongue back against his, a brave, yet slightly clumsy attempt on your behalf. But he didn't seem to mind, in fact, he hummed in appreciation at the boldness of it. Elton tugged at the hem of your shirt and you took it off, breaking the kiss to do so. You reached over to do the same to him and he seemed to hesitate before pulling it over his head. 

"You know I've never been really fit." He mumbled quietly, covering his midsection with a forearm. 

You shook your head and wrapped your arms around him, talking against his lips. "Elton, why would I give a shit about that?" 

He blew a puff of laughter out from between his lips. "I don't know, most do!" 

You began to trail heated kisses down the column of his neck. "Well, you don't have 'most' in your bed right now, do you?" 

Elton actually gasped as you scraped your teeth against his skin. "...N-No I don't." He wrapped an arm around you and dug his nails lightly into the flesh of your back. 

You leaned down to suck at the skin of his collarbone, pinching it lightly with your teeth as to leave a little wine colored stain on his fair complexion. "Then you're okay. It's just me. And I like the way you look." 

Elton's eyes fluttered as you marked him, seeming to relax a bit at your words. He laid down on the bed and pulled you over top of him and you straddled his hips. The small soccer shorts you were wearing surely didn't leave much to the imagination, yet neither did his. And the evidence was right there, pressing steadily against you. Elton guided your head down to meet his lips and you kissed him as if breathing were of a secondary importance. He broke away momentarily to set his glasses on the little table next to the bed but you were right back at it the second they hit the wood. You ground down on him a little despite yourself and his head fell back against the pillows in a lust filled daze. 

"Do you...what do you want to do?" You asked, panting slightly. 

"Can I..."He started slightly unsure. "Can I touch you?" He rubbed his palm against the inside of your thigh and your hips jerked slightly toward it, catching your breath in your throat. 

You nodded frantically. "...Yeah..." 

Elton wet his lips and sat up a little, sliding his palm up to press against your shorts over your cock. A hum of appreciation reverberated in your throat and you moved your hips against his hand slowly. You pulled down the waistband of your shorts to reveal your leaking head against the glistening skin of your abdomen and Elton looked as if he were seeing something miraculous. He met eyes with you as if asking permission and you nodded before he wrapped his hand around the length of it, pumping it gingerly. You shoved the edge of your fist in your mouth to keep any sounds that threatened to escape to the bare minimum, knowing that Bernie was still soundly snoring on the other side of the wall. 

"Should I do it faster?" Elton nearly whispered, the only sounds in the room being your breath and the swiping of slick skin. 

Your eyes were screwed shut tight and you took your fist from your mouth before looking at him. "P-Please." 

"Come're..." Elton used his spare hand to crash your lips together again and increased the pace of his hand on your cock. 

It was getting more and more difficult to be silent. You wanted to do something to him, to make him feel good to take your mind off of the hot coils tightening in your stomach. The tent in his shorts that was rubbing your ass certainly gave you an idea. 

"Can I try something?" You broke the kiss to speak. 

Elton nodded. "...Of course." 

You tugged at the waistband of his shorts and pulled them down before pulling yours the rest of the way off and took a second to admire his cock. You could see a hint of embarrassment rise in his face but you quickly kissed it away and ground the length of your dick against his. Elton moaned into your mouth and you placed your hand around the both of you, tugging in time with your thrusts. 

"This...This is a lot better than anything I could have thought of right now." Elton panted. He wrapped his legs around your hips and slid his hands up into your hair. 

You watched his face ride through waves of pleasure, sweat glistening on his forehead. You were already close, unsure if he was too. When suddenly:

"Oh my God." Elton arched his back, his mouth falling wide open. 

You felt a warm spurt of liquid his your stomach as you fell off the edge yourself, a small cry caught in your throat. 

The two of you just laid there for a moment, recovering from the whole situation. 

"Maybe....er...Maybe we should have waited to take a bath, eh?" Elton joked in a post-coital drawl. 

You snorted against his chest, shoulders shaking with laughter. "Shut up." 

Elton smiled and wrapped his arms around you, peppering the side of your head in kisses. "Don't worry, we're in the modern age of technology! We have towels!" 

You huffed a laugh and nestled in the crook of his chin, thoroughly satisfied. 

A few moments of silence passed before Elton's voice broke it. 

"So, which one of us is getting up?" 


	7. Chapter 7

Of course you got up. It just seemed the easier option on top of the fact that you were closest to the towels. Cleaning up was quick and painless and you adjusted your disheveled clothing as Elton threw on a change in shorts. 

"Well, I guess I'll go to bed." You said softly, heading towards the living room. 

"Wait--" Elton started. 

You turned. "What?" 

You could see the red creeping up his ears and your heart fluttered. 

"Would you want to sleep in here?" He asked rather bashfully. 

You couldn't help the wide smile that swept across your face. "Of course." 

Relief washed over Elton and he smiled back, straightening the blankets on his cot. You walked back over to it and squeezed in beside him. As you got comfortable, or as comfortable as you could considering the lack of space, Elton wrapped his arms around you and pulled you in close to his chest. You closed your eyes and breathed in the scent of clean detergent and the slight spicy pine of whatever cologne or aftershave he wore. 

"Good night." Elton mumbled into the top of your head. 

"Good night." You were sure he could feel you smile and huff a little laugh as sleep overtook you. 

* * *

You were awoken by the sound of a rooster crowing and as you tried to pry your eyes open, the warm weight of Elton half on top of you became apparent and you remembered falling asleep in his arms last night. You blushed despite yourself and sighed. It was much too early to feel this helpless. 

"That damn bird needs to shutup." Elton mumbled half into the pillow beside your head. "Every fuckin morning it goes off at the crack of dawn like it's the second coming." 

You giggled and closed your eyes again. And then the sound of distant whistling coming from outside caught your attention. 

Snapping open your eyes again, you sat up halfway. "Is, was that--Bernie?" 

"Hmm?" Elton tried to open his eyes but they remained half closed. He lifted his head slightly from the pillow, hair tousled. And then realization hit. "Oh!" 

You looked over hastily at the door, thankful that you had remembered to shut it all the way last night. 

"If he knows I'm not outside, and he knows I'm not in the living room, then...He probably knows I'm in here." 

Elton sat up and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ah fuck." He rubbed his eyes and put his glasses on from the nightstand. "I mean we could just say that you fell asleep in here because we were up late talking. I've done that with him before so it's not that surprising." 

You nodded. "That's way better than anything I would've thought of." 

The whistling came in from outside and soon it was accompanied by the smell of bacon frying in the kitchen. 

"Does he always wake up this early?" You asked Elton. 

"Most days, unless he's not feeling well. I swear he must've been a rooster in a past life. He seems to be on the same schedule." Elton stretched and gave a yawn. 

"Does he care if you sleep in? Or do you guys usually wake up early to write stuff?" You asked, half wanting to go back to sleep. 

"He doesn't mind. We don't write together in the same space anyway. He writes his lyrics and I make up the tunes by myself." Elton said. 

"Oh, that's interesting." You laid back down on your side and closed your eyes again until you heard the clatter of glasses being set down and the familiar arm around your body. Oh how you could get used to this...

You felt soft lips press against your forehead and nose and you hummed with contentment before drifting back off. 

* * *

A few knocks at the door. 

"Hey Elton, you awake? Would you and your friend like some food before I have to throw it away?" Bernie asked. 

You shot straight up in the bed, nearly falling out of it. Elton rose, eyes still closed responding as if he were entirely coherent. 

"Sure. We'll be right out." 

You got out of bed and tried to make yourself look presentable and followed a half-asleep Elton out into the kitchen. 

"You guys look tired. Long night?" Bernie asked, sipping his orange juice and setting his plate in the sink. 

"Yeah we were just up talking all night. You know, school days." Elton grabbed a piece of bacon and bit off the top as he handed you a plate. 

Bernie nodded and set his glass down on the counter before handing Elton a sheet of paper. "Here's a little something to mess with later, if you want. It's not very long, but I figure you can make part of it instrumental if you wanted to."

Elton took the slip of paper and sat down at the table and you could see by the frantic pace his eyes skimmed the words that it must've been interesting. Wait--was he--blushing? 

"Thanks man, I'll go work on it." He picked up his plate of food and went into his room before closing the door and you were left a little dumbfounded. 

"That was fast." You said, putting food on your plate. 

Bernie laughed. "Usually when I give him something to work on he likes to get right on it before he forgets the song he hears in his head. At least that's how he explained it to me." 

Some muffled piano playing drifted to the kitchen as you ate your breakfast. Bernie wandered over to the living room and started writing something else down. You wondered if he ever took a break from thinking. 

* * *

It was later on in the afternoon when Bernie suggested riding over to his friend's farm to pick apples so he could make some cider. It still being midsummer, that sounded excellent to you and Elton certainly didn't protest. And so the three of you were off to the farm in the Jeep, riding along the dirt road. 

It only took about fifteen minutes and you arrived at a wooden fence and a little cottage like house tucked away under a couple of magnolia trees. Bernie walked out first and knocked on the door, you and Elton trailing behind. An older man answered, probably around forty. 

"Bernard!" He cheered warmly and wrapped his arms around Bernie. 

You stifled a giggle and Elton shook his head. "Another unfortunate name." He said quietly.

"Oh, it's not too bad. Reminds me of a big dog's name or something." 

"And Elton, hello!" The man smiled and pulled Elton in for a big hug as well. 

You could hear a little 'oomph' of the air being squished out of him as the older man was quite larger than all of you. When he released Elton he looked at you with curiosity. 

"I'm er, just a friend of Elton's from school." You mumbled quietly. 

"Well, I'm glad to be meeting you, then!" He acted like he was going to hug you but you stepped back instinctively so he held a hand out for you to shake instead. 

"Sorry I'm not much of a hugger." You hoped that didn't offend him. 

"Not to worry lad!" He scratched his scruffy beard and adjusted his hat. "My name is Eddie, but most just call me Ed." 

"Ed here was a friend of my fathers. Very good man." Bernie added. 

"Awww shucks." Ed smiled. 

"Ed, could we take some apples off your hands?" Bernie pointed over in the direction of a small apple orchard. 

"Of course! Those things make far too much for just me!" Ed laughed and went to sit on a bench on his porch. 

"Thank you I really appreciate it." Bernie said. 

"There should be baskets over there, but if there isn't let me know!" Ed called. 

"Okay!" Bernie started walking over to the apple trees and you and Elton followed. 

The closer you got to the trees, the more the apples gleamed in the late sunlight. They looked like multicolored rubies. Bernie picked up a wooden ladder from against the fence surrounding the orchard and gave you and Elton each a basket. 

"Do we--Do we catch them?" You asked, unsure of what the process was. 

Bernie laughed as he propped the ladder against a tree and began to climb it. 

"No, he'll pick some and bring them back down." Elton said. 

"Unless you want to try catching them!" Bernie called from up in the tree. 

* * *

The three of you headed back to Ed's house, baskets full to the brim with the delicious looking fruit. 

"Thanks again, man. You let me know any time you need some help with anything, okay?" Bernie said, starting to load the apples in the Jeep. 

Ed walked over to Bernie and patted him on the back. "Alright, if you insist. You know, you've been a real blessing since Judy passed." 

"Of course, Ed, you guys are like family to me." Bernie hugged Ed again.

You waved goodbye to Ed and he smiled warmly. "Hope to see you around again!" 

Elton waved too before getting in the Jeep. "See ya, Ed!" 

Bernie started the car and began to drive back to the house. 

"Apple cider time!" Elton cheered. 

"I love apple cider. I bet homemade tastes even better." You said. 

"It really does. And the fun part is, I make a mean hard cider from the leftovers." Bernie replied. 

* * *

Bernie was up to his elbows in apples in the kitchen, a joint dangling from his lips when Elton walked up to him. 

"Do you need any help there?" He asked. 

"No I think I've got it." 

"You sure? That's quite a bit of apple for one man." 

Bernie laughed. "Yes I'm sure, if I need help I'll grab one of you two and ask." 

"Alright. But only if you ask first." Elton said.

Bernie threw an apple peel at Elton and he dodged it, giggling. 

When Elton passed you on the way out of the kitchen he made a motion for you to follow him. Your heart beat stupidly fast, but you followed anyway as he led you back into his room. 

"What?" You asked him. 

He opened a large suitcase and pulled out a turntable and a stack of records. 

"This is what." 

Your eyes grew wide. There were quite a few there in his seemingly growing collection. All of the big names were there--Elvis, Little Richard, Jerry Lee, and even some more obscure artists you hadn't heard of yet. 

"How did you get all of these?" You asked. 

"Well, I used to work for a record store. So I managed to get a few harder to find ones there." He said as he set the little turntable up on the nightstand. 

You took a seat on the cot and watched him pull out Elvis Presley's 'Loving You' and put it down on the player. A classic. 

The look on Elton's face when Bernie handed him a lyric sheet earlier kept swarming in the back of your mind. Part of you felt like you were being nosy but you tried to shake it off. 

"What was it Bernie gave you earlier? Could I see it maybe?" You asked. 

There it was again. A hint of embarrassment. You regretted it instantly. 

"You don't have to, I was only curious." You continued, rambling at this point. 

"No, it's okay." Elton stood up and pulled out a large envelope stuffed with papers of all shapes and sizes and began to look through it. 

After a few moments he handed you one and you looked it over. 

_Seasons_ it said. 

_For our world, the circle turns again_   
_Throughout the year, it seems the seasons change_   
_It's meant a lot to me to start a new_   
_Oh, the winters cold, but I'm so warm with you_   
_Out there there's not a sound to be heard_   
_And the seasons seem to sleep upon their words_   
_As the waters freeze up with the summer's end_   
_Ain't it funny how young lovers start as friends_   
_Yes, it's funny how young lovers start as friends_

You could feel your face heat up but you handed it back to Elton trying to seem unfazed. 

"You don't think..." You started. 

"I don't think, I _know_." Elton said.

 _Oh._

"I mean, it doesn't explicitly say anything to imply he knows!" You tried to talk yourself out of your earlier conclusion. 

"Bernie never explicitly says anything--except profanity itself." Elton answered. 

That did seem about right. But he doesn't know about Bernie telling you that Elton was gay either. But you knew it was just so you could be there for him. At least, that's what you originally thought. Unless Bernie somehow knew you were gay and was telling you that as to sort of give you his blessing. Your mind reeled. 

"Hey," Elton said, putting a hand on your shoulder. "are you alright?"

You shook your head. 

"It's okay, Bernie doesn't mind people like us. He's very open-minded." 

Memories of fighting at home flashed through your mind. "I can tell. He's very different." 

"So there's nothing to worry about." 

"You're right. I don't know why I let myself get so worked up." You sighed and shook your head, letting the sounds of the record spinning bring you back to the present. 

"We should just tell him and get it over with later." Elton sat next to you on the cot and rested his head on your shoulder. 

"Okay." 


	8. Chapter 8

About an hour later, you and Elton were lying on the floor passing a joint back and forth. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band was spinning on the turntable. You occasionally exchanged a joke or two and shared a giggle. 

"God I remember I bought this the day it came out and everyone at the academy thought it was absolutely bonkers. 'The Beatles have finally lost their minds' they said. Can you believe it?" Elton said. 

You laughed. "Of course I can. My parents thought they were the Devil incarnate." 

"DINNER IS READY YOU ROCK N' ROLL DEGENERATES!" Bernie yelled from the kitchen. 

You and Elton turned your heads to the door. 

"OKAY!" Elton yelled back. 

You extinguished the joint on the stone floor and Elton got up to turn the record off before you followed him to the kitchen. 

"God you two smell like pot." Bernie said laughing. 

You lifted the fabric of your shirt to your nose and gave a whiff. Yep. That was definitely marijuana. 

"We've hot-boxed a room plenty of times, Bernie." Elton responded. 

"I know, I'm just giving you a hard time." Bernie poured three glasses of apple cider and set them on the table and turned the heat off under a big pot of what you assumed was soup. "Lamb stew." He said. 

"Ooooh." You walked over to the pot and looked inside. It smelled wonderful. 

"Bowls are over there." Bernie gestured. 

"What did we do to deserve you?" Elton smiled at Bernie as he took a bowl. 

"I don't mind cooking. I like it, actually." Bernie sipped some apple cider. "I assumed if I didn't cook tonight that you two would just be up indefinitely listening to records going off of nothing but marijuana and sheer willpower." 

"I mean, you're not half wrong." You said as you served yourself some stew and sat down. 

Elton was surprisingly quiet in response. He just got some stew and sat down. "Speaking of which...There's something we wanted to talk to you about." 

_Oh no._

Bernie raised an eyebrow.

_This was it. It was going to go all downhill from here. He would get angry and say you were distracting Elton and you would have to leave back to London and never get to see him perform in California and--_

"--What is it?" Bernie asked 

Elton looked over at you and the blood drained from your face. You clenched your teeth so hard a vein was probably popping out in your jaw. 

"I'm in love with him. Have been for a long time." Elton said, still retaining eye contact. 

Your eyes grew as wide as saucers and your heart beat up into your throat. 

You looked over at Bernie expecting anger, expecting....something--but instead he burst out laughing. 

"By the looks of it, mate, I'd say that you should have told _him_ that first in private." Bernie wiped a tear from his eye. 

Elton blushed furiously. You had never seen him so red in your whole life. 

"The point being!" He started, lifting his arms in frustration. "Is that we're together!"

Bernie smiled. "That's great." 

Your mind reeled. 

_'That's great'._

You had never had a positive response before and you were all prepared to accept the worst. You sat there in awe, realizing you had no idea how to deal with the best possible reaction. Your breathing started to come in short little gasps. Hyperventilation. 

"Hey are you okay?" Elton looked over at you as you placed a hand to your chest in a feeble attempt to calm your breathing down. Tears flowed from your eyes. 

"What's wrong?" Elton got up and squatted next to where you sat, cupping your cheek. Memories flooded back to your mind from when you were kids, to when you had gotten hurt at school playing and he would always check up on you--doing the same thing.

You looked right through him for a moment, but when you became aware of him you took a deep breath, focusing only on the pressure of his hand and slowing down your breathing. Elton shushed you quietly and you closed your eyes. 

When you became aware of your surroundings again you were mortified. You must've looked like an emotional wreck. 

"I'm sorry I don't know what happened." You said quietly. 

"Don't apologize." Bernie said. "I think I know what happened." He smiled. "I'm very happy for you two." 

Elton was still crouched down beside you and he grabbed your hand, holding it in his. "Thank you." He said. 

You looked down at him and felt a warm feeling bloom in your chest. 

_This, perhaps._ You thought. _Was love._

* * *

Later on that evening when you were getting ready for bed, Elton walked up and hugged you from behind placing little kisses along your neck. You smiled and turned to look at him and he giggled. Music to your ears. 

"What're you doing? I've gotta get dressed." You said, as if you suddenly cared about that. 

Elton nuzzled into the back of your neck. "For what?" 

"For bed?" 

"But sleeping in your underwear is every man's right." Elton joked. 

You rolled your eyes, laughing. "I'll get too cold come morning." 

You could see something flicker in Elton's eyes. "Not with me you won't." 

Your stomach dropped. Elton pressed kisses into your neck again, this time stopping to suck a bruise on your collarbone. 

"...Jesus." You tilted your head back and slipped your hand into his hair. 

You could feel him smile against your skin and he lifted his head to blow gently behind the shell of your ear and you shuddered. 

"Did you even close the door?!" You were scarlet. 

"Of course I did." Elton slid a hand down toward your hip. "Ye have little faith." 

Your eyes fluttered and you leaned against him a little bit as your breath hitched. "I'm just trying to be decent is all." 

When his hand reached your half-hard cock you moaned quietly. 

"Doesn't seem like it." Elton teased. 

"You shut up!" You hissed, half-laughing. Your face was thoroughly flushed. 

Elton walked around in front of you with a wicked smile on his face. Then he lowered himself to his knees. Your eyes shot wide open. 

"Elton, Bernie is still awake and in the next room!" You whispered. 

"So?" He was still looking right up at you. 

_The audacity!_

Elton pressed kisses over your abdomen, his warm breath tickling your skin. And when he got down to the waistband of your briefs he flicked his tongue out to glide just underneath. 

The keening sound you made you tried to pass off with a cough and Elton giggled. This was a terrible idea. 

Elton pressed his mouth onto your cock over your briefs and your knees buckled. 

"...I'm going to need to sit down..." You said. 

"That sounds like a much better idea." Elton agreed. 

He followed you over as you sat down on the cot and knelt between your legs.

_How was it that he had so much power over you but he was the one on his knees?_

You shook that thought from your head and took a deep breath, noticing that Elton was still fully dressed. 

"Do you want to get more comfortable?" You asked him.

"I'd rather you take those off and I keep going." He gestured to your briefs. 

Your brain short-circuited, but you complied. You pulled the garment down over your legs and off and Elton pushed gently on your chest for you to lie back, propping yourself up on your elbows. Your dick was standing at attention now and you felt far too exposed for your own good. Elton mouthed at one of your thighs, pressing kisses before sucking another bruise there. His eyes were closed and he looked in an almost worshipful state. Your heart ached with longing for him. You wanted to kiss him. 

"Hey, come here for a second." You motioned him towards you. 

Elton stood up and leaned over and you clashed your mouths together, teeth scraping for a moment. The kiss grew heated, your tongues pressing against one another's when you had to break away for breath. Elton wrapped his hand around your cock and gave it a few tugs before sinking back down to take it into his mouth. You gasped, hips bucking. You tried to keep still. When he started running his tongue along the length of it you bit your fist to distract from the urge to moan. 

You heard Elton fumbling with his button and fly and you glanced down to see him palming his erection through his jeans. 

_At least you weren't the only one enjoying_ _this_... 

Elton continued to bob his head up and down flicking his tongue over the head of your cock. It had only been about a minute but if he continued doing what he was doing you would lose it in no time. 

"Elton I..." You started, breathless. You tilted your head back as he hit a particularly sensitive spot, gasping. The urge to thrust up into his mouth was too strong. 

Elton sucked harder and bobbed his head a little faster. He moaned a little against your skin and it made your hips jerk. You could hear the slick sounds of him pumping his own cock as he continued to work yours and it fried your brain even more. Before you even knew it you fell apart, shaking and coming down the back of his throat. 

As you collapsed boneless against the bed you heard Elton groan as he came in his hand. 

"No regrets." He said breathlessly, laughing slightly. 

"Definitely not." You sat up and kissed him deeply and Elton seemed to melt. 

You wanted to say I love you back but it felt like the wrong circumstances to do so. You almost felt more than what measly words you could think up could convey. So you just kept it to yourself. 

"Okay now it's my turn to get ready for bed." Elton said, laughing. 

You fell asleep with your arms around each other and the faint sound of crickets outside. The sound of Bernie's snoring drifting through the wall providing a familiar white noise. 

* * *

When morning came around and the loud rooster crowed, you groaned, burying your face in Elton's chest. 

"...We should cook the chicken." Were the first coherent words you said. 

Elton cackled. "Most definitely. But I don't think Bernie would allow it." 

You shook your head to the best of your ability. "No, Bernie would endorse it. He's Mr. Woodsman, right?" 

Elton yawned. "I dunno. I've never seen Bernie kill a fly let alone a rooster." 

It only then dawned on you that you only had a handful of days left before the trip to the States. 

"We leave for California soon, don't we?" You asked. 

Elton blinked in surprise. "I suppose we do." 

"Are you nervous at all?" 

"Don't you know me at all of course I'm nervous!" 

"Of course I know you! I was just asking..." 

"Our manager said this was the last hope at getting Bernie and I's music to sell. Because it hasn't done very well here." Elton rubbed at his eyes. 

"What do we do if we get all the way over there and it doesn't work out?" You looked at the uncertainty that rose in his eyes. 

"...I dunno. Get back on over at the record store? Work in a cafe? Whatever comes first." 

A thought crossed your mind but it would sound too crazy--too forward. It was early enough that you might be able to say it anyway and get away with it, though. 

"We could move into my parent's house."

Elton's eyes widened. "Really? You'd want that?" 

"Why wouldn't I want that? I was just going to sell it and move into a flat in the city. But we could live out here, in the country. Bernie can visit as often or whenever he likes." 

You didn't have time to build on that thought because Elton's lips were on your own in a second. When he broke away you were both breathless. 

"I'm taking that as a yes." You said. 

"Absolutely." Elton smiled.


	9. Chapter 9

The days leading up to the flight to California seemed to blend together. Fuzzy, sunshine-filled memories of picnicking under shade trees and quaint nights spent wrapped in each other's arms while crickets chirped outside the window. You wished it could continue forever, but you knew there were bigger and better things to come. 

And when you removed yourself from your daydream, the three of you were at the terminal, awaiting to board the plane. You glanced over at Elton, who kept chewing at his lip nervously. 

"...Are you okay?" You asked him. 

He laughed nervously. "Yeah, I think so." 

Bernie patted him on the shoulder. "It's probably because none of us have flown before. That definitely doesn't help." 

Elton looked down at his shoes. "How does it even stay in the sky? What's holding it up? What happens if the engines suddenly give out?" 

You grabbed Elton's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Hey, it's going to be okay. Your manager wouldn't endanger any of us. People fly all the time." 

Elton took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right." 

"Sorry I'm a tad late, traffic was murder." A voice approached from behind and you instinctively removed your hand from Elton's. 

Bernie turned with a smile. "Hello Ray." 

Ray smiled back. He turned his attention to you and you suddenly felt out of place. 

"You must be the third party I was told about. Hello!" He reached out a hand for you to shake and you accepted it, hoping it was a decent hand shake.

"I'm the label manager's assistant, Ray. I'll be coming along with you guys." 

You nodded, he seemed like a nice young man. 

A stewardess approached a podium beside the door and announced that first class passengers could board now, and Ray took the lead, motioning for the three of you to follow. The tickets were first class? That certainly sounded quite nice. You went through the door to the outside and followed Ray up the stairs into the airplane. You could feel Elton grab the back of your jacket as you walked up the stairs and you turned to give him a reassuring smile. 

You all stowed your luggage overhead and took your seats. You, Elton, and Bernie were all in the same row, and Ray was behind the three of you. You and Bernie took turns distracting Elton with various abstract conversation--the weather--what there was to do in LA--just _how_ big were palm trees? He seemed to relax a little, that was until the pilot's voice rang out throughout the cabin. 

"We're going to have a steady flight of about ten hours. Please remember to keep your seat belts fastened when the light is flashing. Cabin is preparing for takeoff." 

Elton gripped your arm and you covered his hand with your own. Ten hours was an awfully long time to remain seated. You should have brought something to occupy your mind with but it was too late now. You looked over at Bernie who was already nose deep in a book. At least he seemed prepared. 

When the plane started moving away from the terminal and headed over to the runway you tried to strike up conversation again. 

"Bernie told me you wanted to go to Tower Records? That's on sunset near the Troubadour isn't it? Maybe that should be our first stop after checking in at the hotel." 

Elton nodded. "...I've heard about it and always wanted to go." 

"I'll try my best to make sure that happens." 

Elton turned to look at you and a faint smile graced his lips. That was the happiest he'd looked since entering the airport. The plane was on the runway now and it started to accelerate. 

"Oh my God..." Elton muttered under his breath. He looked around at the other passengers to check their expressions for fear or worry but there was none. "Is it supposed to be going this fast?!" 

"It has to be able to get up off the ground, silly." You replied. 

Elton squeezed his eyes shut. "IhatethisIhatethisIhatethis..." He mumbled, bringing his knees up towards his chest. 

Bernie looked over. "Hey, man, it's alright." 

"Breathe, hon. We're right here." You said. 

Ray tapped on the back of your seat.

"Is everything okay?" He asked.

You smiled nervously. "Yeah, Elton's just really nervous." 

Ray pondered a moment in thought. 

"I mean, I do have something that might be able to help." He reached into his pocket and took out a small pill bottle of Dramamine and handed it to you. 

"What's the dosage?" 

"One makes you slightly drowsy but two will definitely put you out." Ray said. 

Elton took the pill bottle from you and poured a couple out onto his palm, swallowing them down with no water. 

"We could've waited until the stewardesses came around." Ray said. 

Elton shook his head. 

The plane lifted off the ground and Elton squeezed his eyes shut again. 

"God I hope these kick in soon." He said. 

"I'm sure they will." Bernie returned to his book. 

You continued to hold Elton's hand and rubbed your thumb over the back of it in lazy circles. By the time you were at altitude and the stewardesses came around you could hear faint snoring from the seat next to you and his hand grew slack against yours. 

You exhaled with slight relief. At least he wasn't panicking anymore. Maybe you should try to get some sleep of your own after having some food...

* * *

You woke up when something landed on your face. Startled, you sat up in your seat and looked over. Elton had sprawled his arm out and you laughed, guiding it back over to his side of the armrest. 

"He's been out for quite a while." Bernie said. 

You looked over blearily. "How long?"

"About seven hours." 

"Wait it's been seven hours?!" You asked. 

"Yeah." 

You were either really really tired or you time traveled. There was no other explanation. You shook your head and slouched back down into your seat. 

"You two should enter the sleep Olympics." Bernie joked. 

You laughed, looking back over at Elton. "He'd probably win." 

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking." You peered out the window to see the miniature landscapes you were currently flying over. "We will be landing in Los Angeles in approximately thirty minutes." 

You looked over at Elton, who was still sound asleep. You decided to try and wake him. 

"Elton," You started, shaking his shoulder lightly. 

He started a little, mumbling something incoherently and he tried to curl toward the window. You tried not to laugh and shook him again. This time his eyes fluttered open. It took him a minute to catch up with what was going on and he suddenly tensed up, gripping the arm rest. 

"Did I sleep through the whole flight?" He asked. 

You nodded. 

"Good." 

"Now there's just the landing to get through." Bernie said, a sly smile on his lips. 

"Oh shit." Elton cringed. 

"Don't worry it'll be fine." You said.

"That's exactly what people say when things aren't fine!" 

"Should I get the pills again?" Ray asked. 

"Not unless you want to carry him off the plane." Bernie said. 

"Good point." Ray fell silent. 

You squeezed Elton's hand when the plane started to descend and continued to do so throughout the whole landing. 

"See, that wasn't so bad." Ray said.

Elton turned to look at Ray, annoyed and Ray ducked back behind his seat. 

"The main thing is it's over now." You tried to lighten the mood. 

"The sooner we're off this fucking thing the better." Elton stood and stretched and you and Bernie reached overhead for the luggage. 

Then it hit you that you were in America. The things you thought were impossible only a few years ago were now real and right in front of you. Who knows what would happen in the coming days. 


End file.
